Pickles
by Sestine
Summary: It’s either he lives or dies in this mission. Deidara could only hope to survive. /Slight DeidaraSakura/


**Title:** Pickles  
**Fandom:** Naruto  
**Characters:** Deidara, Sakura, **Deidara/Sakura in one sentence  
Word Count:** 758  
**Rating:** G  
**Warning/s:** None, really, unless you don't know who Deidara is.  
**Summary:** It's either he lives or dies in this mission. Deidara could only hope to survive.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto nor do I profit from bending the characters to my every whim and having them do what I want.  
**Notes:** Many, many thanks to Kat who took the time to beta-read this. I really appreciate it!

* * *

He would not fail.

He _could_ not fail.

Failure was simply _not_ an option.

In the darkness, Deidara pressed himself against a wall and strained his ears for a sound.

It was deathly quiet. He was safe.

_So far_.

He let himself count to three before moving along the wall until he reached an open doorway, and then peered inside cautiously.

It was dark.

It seemed empty.

But he _could not_ take any chances.

Deidara molded a small clay bird in his hand and threw it in. He could see it go off silently in a puff of smoke, and the kunai that followed barely missed the edge of the doorway and his shoulder before embedding itself deep in the adjacent partition.

There were traps.

He had to be extra careful.

When he edged into the hallway, the metal scope on his left eye whirred as it came to life and scanned the area. The sound was oddly loud in the overbearing silence.

He started to move in slow, measured steps, blood pounding in his ears.

Deidara stopped abruptly and looked down.

There was a chakra string a few inches away, barely visible and running from one wall to another. One touch, and it would have alerted everyone in the vicinity of his presence.

He let out a sigh of relief.

_So far, so good.  
_

He stepped over it and continued walking until he reached a closed door.

This was it.

He was _one_ door away from completing the mission.

Deidara scanned the door for any visible traps, and to his relief, there were none. He molded clay in his hands again but this time, they were small spiders that scuttled over the door and latched on the surface.

One by one, they burst in silent wisps of smoke.

He reached for the doorknob with a moist palm and a trembling hand, and then twisted the knob, pushing the door open.

There!

He could see it. On the farthest corner beside a steel counter was the large container holding his target.

He could feel the mouths on his palms grin with excitement.

Deidara took a step forward.

And another.

And then stopped dead in his tracks.

His scope was whirring madly and he brushed his bangs away, trying to see what could possibly be wrong.

The sight that met his eyes made his heart beat ten times faster, so loud that he _swore_ he could hear it and feel it thumping painfully against his chest. He clenched his fists involuntarily and gulped, saliva traveling painfully down his dry throat.

Coated by a cleverly placed genjutsu were chakra strings.

Multitudes of chakra strings that crisscrossed along the empty spaces, ran along the walls and stopped just a few feet before his target.

Deidara slipped off his cloak and traced an invisible path in the chakra wilderness.

Blowing it up was simply not an option.

This was a stealth mission that could very well cost his life if he weren't cautious enough, and he had vowed to complete it or die trying.

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his knuckles, and then lowered himself to the ground and crawled in.

Deidara ducked and flipped and weaved in and out until he was out of breath and could move no more.

But no.

He could not give up.

He _would _not.

Even on the verge of collapsing, he roused himself and continued to creep under and leap over more chakra strings.

The end was nearing.

He could see it; salvation was but a handful of jumps away.

With an agile leap befitting an elite ninja of his stature, he moved past the last of the obstacles and tumbled gracefully on the cold marble floor.

He panted and coughed and gasped for air. But it was okay. He had survived!

A few feet back, the tip of his ponytail snagged one chakra string.

Deidara pushed himself up and stood weakly on his feet.

Before him, tall and large and _magnificent_, was the container. He reached a trembling hand towards the barrier separating him and his ultimate goal and pulled it open.

There it sat, royal and majestic, in a golden package that made the other contents beside it pale in comparison.

Deidara shook in suppressed joy, grabbing the package and flicking the lid open–

The lights flipped on.

"Deidara? What are you doing in the kitchen at this ungodly hour?"

A very pregnant Sakura waddled towards him.

"And what the hell are you doing with my pickle ice cream?"

_Oh shit_. Busted.


End file.
